The
Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security recently hosted a teleconference
for law enforcement agencies and associations such as the National Association
of Chiefs of Police to discuss the Obama Administration's interest in
using the military during "emergencies."

Fortunately, NewsWithViews.com
had exclusive access to the discussion and the explanations by Homeland
Security and Defense Departments officials.

Officials announced
during the teleconference that the Department of Homeland Security's
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator W. Craig Fugate met
with the Commander, US Northern Command, General Gene Renuart, to discuss
"pre-disaster planning, response and recovery in support of the
federal response to the 2009 hurricane season as well as wild fires,
floods and other potential disasters."

The meeting reinforced
the important relationship between the two organizations and focused
on the operational role of US Northern Command and what resources and
skills they bring to any major Federal effort related to all-hazards
preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. It was also an opportunity
to meet operational leaders who would fill key positions in those support
efforts.

"NORTHCOM
plays a vital role in disaster response in support of state and local
officials," Fugate said. "I am impressed by their commitment
to teamwork and interoperability. They are leaning forward and are solutions-oriented
partners among the nation's emergency response team."

"We are committed
to teaming with and supporting our civilian partners," added Renuart.
"If our federal partners, state and local officials are successful
in responding to contingency operations, then ultimately we are successful.
We look forward to our continued collaboration and cooperation."

"My initial
reaction is: why are we allowing federal troops to basically invade
the sovereignty of individual states when each state has its own law
enforcement agencies and each state possesses an armed and trained National
Guard and, in the case of some states such as New York, a trained militia?"
according to New York police officer Edna Aquino.

"We have not
used armed federal troops in New York since the Civil War when Union
troops and Navy battleships attacked dissenters who opposed conscription
by the Union Army," she added.

According to officials
from the Homeland Security Department, FEMA and Northern Command share
a common interest and a unified approach to disaster response and recovery.

"Both organizations
also understand that the most effective plans to save lives and protect
property begins with preparedness. This meeting was an important stepping
stone to ensure mutual preparedness and effective planning in support
of state and local officials," said one official.

Homeland Security
Department officials offered these two rationales for their joint ventures
with the Department of Defense:

"Emergency
preparedness is everyone's responsibility. Everyone should have a personal
response plan for a disaster, everyone should know who their first responders
are at the local and state level, and everyone should be prepared to
be self-sufficient for at least the first 72 hours.

"FEMA's mission
is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a
nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability
to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and
mitigate all hazards."

Political strategist
Mike Baker is disturbed over this latest "emergency plan"
designed to allow federal troops to operate freely within US borders.

"This is a
constitutionally unsound development for our nation. While President
Barack Obama and his ilk worry about how America's military is perceived
by other nations and are concerned with how we treat enemies, they seem
to be willing to use extreme measures against their own citizens.
Will we witness another Branch Davidian massacre in the name of 'emergency
response' or other rationale? It's not a positive development for this
nation," said Baker.

Northcom was established
about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and is responsible
for an area of operations that includes the United States, Canada and
Mexico. It serves as a "one-stop-shopping" point for military
support in case of an attack on American soil. However, according to
officials speaking during the teleconference, the Obama Administration
is expanding that role to include natural disasters or emergencies that
were once the domain of state and local authorities.

Over the years,
according to Baker, the federal government has expanded its role and
even included other nations in operational plans within the US. For
example NORAD is a joint US-Canadian command established 51 years ago
to defend against nuclear-armed Soviet aircraft entering North American
airspace. Decades later, the command's mission has expanded to include
early detection of threats via air, space, land and sea.

The sheer number
of participants speaks to NORAD's level of preparation and coordination
to operate within US borders. Teaming up to deal with emergencies are
American and Canadian NORAD agents, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration,
U.S. Transportation Security Administration, Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, NAV Canada, the White House, U.S. Departments of Defense and
Homeland Security.

"This is not
something we should be celebrating. This is something we as Americans
should fear," states another NYPD officer.

"If states
do not have the capability to respond on their own to a hurricane or
earthquake, then perhaps they should increase their capabilities or
change their leadership," said Det. Benny Cardoza.

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"Using Hurricane
Katrina as an excuse to increase federal authority in the affairs of
individual states is a sorry excuse and one that should be shunned by
citizens and local cops," states the decorated cop.